Reform is facing fresh embarrassment over its candidates’ views after it emerged that one had described Adolf Hitler as ‘brilliant’ and a ‘clear leader’.
Psychologist Jack Aaron praised the Nazi dictator’s ability to ‘inspire people to action’ and wrote on social media that his ‘intense’ and ‘charismatic’ personality type was the same as that of Apple founder Steve Jobs.
He also claimed Syria’s President Assad was ‘gentle by nature’ and that Vladimir Putin’s use of force in Ukraine was ‘legitimate’.
Confronted yesterday over his claims, Mr Aaron told The Times: ‘Yes, Hitler was as brilliant as he was utter evil. How is that controversial to say, given that he was able to turn the Germans to such destructive acts, including killing many members of my own family?
‘I strongly believe, as a psychologist, in separating intelligence and talent from morality, so that we can adequately diagnose problems and help people.’
However Mr Aaron, standing against Defence Secretary Grant Shapps in Welwyn Hatfield, is the second Reform candidate found to have made controversial comments about Hitler.
Last week it emerged that Ian Gribbin, standing in Bexhill and Battle, believed Britain would be in a ‘far better state today’ if it had ‘taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality’ in the run-up in the Second World War.
A number of other candidates standing for Nigel Farage’s Right-wing party have also attacked NATO and Ukraine while defending Russia, it can be revealed.
Thomas John Clark, standing in Bangor Aberconwy, wrote on Twitter last autumn: ‘I would feel safer if NATO just disbanded.’
Earlier this year he said ‘Putin seems to be sane and reasonable’ and was ‘innocent’ over the death of political prisoner Alexei Navalny.
Andy Husband, Reform’s candidate in North Durham, has deleted his old Twitter account.
But screenshots circulated by other users show that he described Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky as ‘nuts and a Nazi’.
He also claimed that staff of his who had taken the Covid vaccine were ‘now magnetic’ and that ‘this phenomenon needs exposing’.
On Sunday Reform was forced to drop its candidate Grant St Clair-Armstrong after it emerged he once urged people to vote for the hard-right British National Party.
Asked about Mr St Clair-Armstrong, who was standing against Kemi Badenoch in Essex, Reform leader Mr Farage told reporters: ‘The guy was not a member of the BNP, he was not an activist in the BNP.
‘A lot of people back in that period – I think 15, 20 years ago – were talking about voting BNP…but we ought to have known about it and we did spend an inordinate sum of money with a professional vetting company, run by a high-profile person, who did not complete that piece of work.’
Reform was approached for comment.